CAIRO: After hitting impressive growth rates in Egypt last year, Samsung Electronics looks on the country as an integral market for more business, forecasting aggressive growth this year upward of 80 percent, the company told Daily News Egypt. "[The telecommunications] market is growing rapidly in Egypt which why a third operator launched last year, investing more than $2 billion, said Malek El Hussamy, senior marketing manager at Samsung's mobile communication division. "Penetration rate in Egypt now is around 30 percent, and there is more room for growth. The more economic growth you have, the more income per person, the more [purchasing power], the more penetration rate because [more] people will buy phones. Recent statistics show that the size of the Egyptian telecommunication market jumped 70 percent to reach 26.9 million subscribers at the end of last September, up from 15.87 million a year earlier. In 2007, MobiNil and Vodafone Egypt posted their highest net additions since the launch of Etisalat Egypt, with Vodafone Egypt claiming 1.32 million in the second quarter of 2007 and MobiNil 5.851 million for the fourth quarter. Etisalat Egypt contributed to the market growth, capturing 0.7 million customers in the third quarter of 2007 to reach a total of 1.30 million subscribers, compared to a total of around 12 million for market rival Vodafone Egypt and 15.118 million for MobiNil. Samsung Electronics - a leader in consumer electronics and technology solutions - said it was upbeat on the Egyptian market, where it was able to increase number of sales vis-à-vis other countries in the region. It currently ranks the second mobile phone brand name in Egypt, surpassed by market heavyweight Nokia, but still managing to score above Sony Ericsson. "We may not be the number one company [in terms of] market share, but we enjoy introducing the latest mobile phone technologies, El Hussamy boasted. The firm, he clarified, was the first to introduce a 3 mega-pixel camera phone, music phones, color phones and ultra-slim phones. This month, the company launched its latest technology in the Egyptian market, featuring a 5 mega-pixel camera phone and a dual SIM card phone. It targets Egypt's younger generation, which craves the latest gizmos and gadgets. "A recent study in Egypt shows that 50 percent of the population is under 25 years old.. This new Egyptian generation is our target customer in the present and the future, he explained. "This generation will have different needs than those of mine, for example, as we didn't have satellite or internet access when we [were growing up]. Egypt's younger generation, he added, has taste for mobile phones with bigger screens, innovative designs and attractive colors. "Phones with Wi-Fi technology have also become an important feature [nowadays], as several cafes in Egypt now offer free Wi-Fi access. One of the company's main goals in Egypt now is to identify market requirements and introduce products tailor-made to Egyptian consumers. "It doesn't matter that income levels are not that high in Egypt [because] we see a lot of opportunities for growth, El Hussamy stated. He explained that Samsung Electronics targets different segments of the Egyptian market, from limited-income entry levels, to music seekers, to photographers, to professional business people. That is why the company recently struck a deal with Etisalat Egypt and Vodafone Egypt to exclusively supply entry-level mobile phones at affordable prices. "Egypt is the first country in the Middle East where Samsung has made deals with mobile operators. We've made things happen in Egypt compared to other countries in the region. Similarly, the firm inked last November a deal with Mansour Group, a leading conglomerate in the region, making the group its strategic partner and sole distributor for audio/visual and household appliance products across the country. "The Mansour Group is very [well-established]. Everything the group touches as a brand has been a success story. They are motivated.and aggressive enough to make things happen for us, explained El Hussamy.
